LOS ANGELES — Nneka Ogwumike’s final home game will be undoubtedly filled with pomp and circumstance.
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The Sparks’ all-time leading scorer will be honored with a retirement celebration at Thursday’s season finale against the playoff-bound Golden State Valkyries, on the same night the franchise recognizes the 10-year anniversary of its 2016 championship team.
Ogwumike, who was the 2016 WNBA MVP and has been the president of the WNBA Players Association since 2017, is retiring after 15 years in the league.
The 36-year-old forward, who on Aug. 19 announced she would retire at the end of the season, scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds in her last road game, an 89-79 loss to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday night.
However, her Sparks coaches and teammates want nothing more than to end the 11-time All-Star’s career with a victory.
“I think we all feel the importance of giving it everything we got on Thursday,” Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts said. “Obviously, for ourselves but more so for her and what she has meant to me, to this team just this season, you can’t really quantify. What she means to this league is impossible to even, the respect she has from every player, every official, every coach is really been cool to witness and experience.”
Up and down the roster is a mix of veterans, sophomores and rookies, who agree that Ogwumike has impacted them on and off the court.
“She’s an amazing person,” Sparks rookie guard Tonie Morgan said when asked about Ogwumike. “Obviously, we know she’s a great player but she’s an amazing person. She’s took me under her wing, even when I first came in. And she’s been amazing to all of us, just sharing her wisdom with everybody, any time she can, even on the sidelines, baselines, whenever she can. She’s been very helpful for me and my development in this league, so I’m very grateful for her.”
“It’s been a blessing,” fellow rookie guard Chance Gray said. “I asked Nneka what to take away from your rookie year and she said to learn as much as you can and I’ve just watched her from behind, see how she preps for each game, see the great pro that she is and why she’s had longevity in this league.”
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The Sparks (16-27) , who have not had a winning season since 2020, will miss the postseason for a franchise-record sixth season. They will host Golden State (31-12) to end their 44-game regular season. They are 1-5 all-time against the Valkyries, with five consecutive losses and two this season.
The Valkyries are coming off a 90-82 overtime loss to the Portland Fire but have won six of their last seven games. All-Star guard Gabby Williams scored 17 points.
“We have a good game plan ready for Golden State,” Roberts said. “Obviously, they’re very good too, really good defensive team. No game in this league is easy, but we all owe it to her to empty the tank and put our absolute best out there.”
The Sparks had four players score in double figures against Las Vegas. After Ogwumike, veteran guard Erica Wheeler scored 16 points. Morgan scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting with two 3-pointers. Guard Rae Burrell added 11 points.
“We’re going to keep fighting because that’s our job,” Morgan added. “Our job is to try and come out here, play as hard as we can and win games and it just gives us hope for the future and see what we can do as we keep playing in this league.”
The Sparks trailed the Aces by double digits early, when Las Vegas went on a 15-0 run to go up 17-5 in the first quarter. The Sparks trailed 24-11 going into the second quarter but battled back, cutting the Aces’ advantage to 35-29 before halftime.
“Any experience that we can have is a good moment in terms of our rookie year,” Gray explained. “We’re supposed to learn and take in as much as we can. So I think it’s a good experience either way.”
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GOLDEN STATE (31-12) AT SPARKS (16-27)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV: Spectrum SportsNet